Exemplary embodiments herein generally relate to a sliding vehicle closure system, and, more particularly, relate to an upper roller assembly arranged to move a sliding vehicle closure between a closed position and an open position.
Current vehicle slide door systems use three rails, namely, an upper guide rail, a center guide rail, and a lower guide rail, disposed horizontally along the vehicle for moving a sliding vehicle closure, such as a sliding side door of a vehicle, between an open position and a closed position. The upper and lower guide rails support upper and lower roller assemblies which guide the vehicle closure along a non-linear fixed path of travel defined by the upper and lower guide rails. One known roller assembly includes a main bracket mounted to the vehicle closure and a separate roller bracket rotatably mounted to a distal end of the main bracket. The roller bracket includes a pair of guide rollers rotatable about respective generally vertical axes. The guide rollers are received in an inverted U-shaped track for guided movement therealong as the vehicle closure is opened and closed. A support roller is also rotatably connected to the roller bracket. This roller rotates about a generally horizontally oriented axis and does not typically move within a track. Instead, this lower roller moves along a generally horizontally oriented surface of the vehicle body structure. As the vehicle closure is moved between its opened and closed positions and the guide rollers move along the track, the roller bracket rotates relative to the main bracket. Additionally, a cover is generally provided for the center guide rail to at least partially hide the center guide rail, but there is still a visible gap along the side of the vehicle body structure that can affect the styling image of the vehicle.